Antonio Conte looks ahead to Arsenal's League Cup showdown with Chelsea in the semi-finals in January

Antonio Conte has admitted that his Chelsea team will have to be at their best if they want to beat Arsenal in the League Cup semi-finals.

The Blues were pitted against their close London rivals after they secured their place in the last four thanks to their 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Wednesday night.

Arsenal, meanwhile, sealed their place in the next round by beating West Ham in front of their home fans on Tuesday night.

The two London sides must now prepare to face each other three times in the new year, with the two semi-final legs coming just days after Chelsea’s trip to The Emirates in the Premier League on 3 January.

And Conte has warned his side that they will have to be at their best if they want to make their way past Arsenal in the League Cup semi-finals.

Speaking at a news conference at Cobham on Thursday, Conte said: “You must be ready to face the big teams [in the last four]. Arsenal are a very good team.

“Last season we were able to win the League and reach the FA Cup final…for sure I would have liked to have won the FA Cup but when you face a big team anything can happen. Arsenal deserved to win the trophy.”

Chelsea are currently preparing for their Premier League showdown with Everton on Saturday lunchtime, the west London side’s final top-flight game before Christmas.

The Blues are third in the Premier League table and 14 points behind leaders Manchester City after 18 games, while Arsenal are in fifth and 19 points off top spot.